Buick Verano

Comments

I don't have any resources available to answer your specific question as I assist US drivers. However, GM of Canada may be able to assist you with this if you wanted to contact them at 800-263-3777 (Hours: M-F 7:30am - 11:30pm, Sat 7:30am - 6:00 EST).

All the best, and I'm sorry that I can't answer your question for you right here, Sarah GM Customer Service

Great observations on the Verano. The non independant beam rear axle is a cheap out on the Verano and really keeps the Audi comparision from working for me. What I also noticed is that the front seat recliners are non power and hard to work. Also something inhertited from it's Cruze sibling. 12 to 13 mpg Avgis unacceptable mileage for a small car! Is anyone else doing better than this? Does the car at least have back up beeper alarms inside? Are the tailights LEDs?

Conversly the sound suppression work on the Verano is world class! Honda needs to sit up and take note! I'm going to look at the Acura ILX due out this spring before I make any small car decision.

This is the little lady's ride and I get it on weekends. So far no problems to mention at all. This car is well built and fit and finish are excellent. For a car in this category it handles well and mpg not bad but could be better.

Pick up outstanding and rides like a library on the highway. Compared to Regal I tool around with this car comparable but a notch better as far as transmission and luxurious interior.

Only thing to note, front end is very low and I have a sidewalk crossing my driveway so I have a slight incline. This puppy front end dam rubs against it when I pull out to fast. Keep in mind also when parking near parking lot bumpers this baby will rip apart if you go to close.

Had a recall notice regarding air bag, but dealer inspected and said all was good!Thats it for now!

Yeah, I read about that. What about Homelink? They put it in the 2012 Regal so I thought maybe they'd put in the 2013 Verano. I just don't understand their thought processes. They want to market Buick as a premium car but don't even offer stuff that is standard on most other premium makes or even offer it as an option. Strange.

I suspect something must be cut somewhere, or the Verano would end up as expensive as the top end Regal or Lacrosse. It has got to be a conundrum to figuring out how to market a small luxury car without having it cost every bit as much as every other premium car. I think most manufacturers choose to make less profit on small premium cars and hope to make it up in somewhat greater volume. However, in the Verano's case, Buick is wading into territory (premium compact) where it has no track record or reputation. It certainly has made a good first effort, but sales are hardly remarkable so far.

Truth is you can get better deals on larger cars that have been out longer such as the Regal Vs Verano etc. It always costs to be first with a new model. If you option the Verano up too much, you'd be wise to price out other family models.

That's pretty much the case with any car class. The top of the lines tend to cross the lower or even middle of the next larger class. Lots of people just don't want a larger car even if they can get it for the same price.

However, I don't think $100 cost for adding Homelink would throw this car into another price category.

No, it wouldn't. But adding every option each individual finds important could begin to push it there. BTW, I like Homelink, but the building to which I recently moved has an opener for the common garage that will not link with Homelink, so that option is now unimportant to me.

Also, the labor involved in building an Audi A4 for example is not appreciably different from an A6 or A7, or a Regal v. a Lacrosse.

If I were in the market for a Buick, the Verano is as big as I would want to go, living in the densest part of my city as I do. My new Volvo S60 is actually an inch or two less in length than the Verano. An A4 is about as big as I care to go with a sedan, so trading up to the next size just because it seems a better deal is not something I would do.

I'm wasn't referring not asking for "every" option known to man. Just an option that just about every premium/luxury car has standard and most regular brands at least offer. It would be nice to be able to order. I help with my mom and it is very handy to be able to program the Homelink for both my garage and hers to avoid carrying two transmitters. I was able to buy a mirror w/homelink for our Mazda. Cost about $200 installed if I recall correctly. Wish Buick would be as convenient.

With Verano's good reviews to now, I'm looking forward to the October launch of the Turbo. I might actually be looking at my first domestic car purchase in many years if this thing lives up to my rather high standards.

I think Edmunds was being a bit harsh when they said: "Lacks the cachet of rivals like the Acura ILX, Audi A3 or Lexus IS 250." "Cache" is a very fickle and perishable commodity. 15 years ago, you couldn't give away a Cadillac; and 10 years ago, people were laughing at Hyundai. This car could be a real game changer for Buick if:

1) They get a firm grip on the car's identity and target market early on. Is it a fast upscale small car, or a premium sports compact? Flappy paddle shifters for the automatic trans and other sporting touches like premium tires and Brembo-style brakes could go a long way in reinforcing that "sports" image & performance.

3) Keep the price realistic. You can't break into this niche by charging what the big boys have already earned the right to charge. Don't try to hit a home run on every unit by charging yourselves right out of the game. Earn your street cred first - then we'll talk about big profits.

Coming up on two months/1600 miles in my new Verano, I offer some non-technical observations. (FYI, I&#146;m 63 y.o.- definitely out of Buick&#146;s current demographic target &#150; but am no driving slouch. You&#146;ll find me at the front of the pack, 8-10 mph over the limit, usually testing the upper performance limits of my vehicles.)

Verdict: I like driving this car. It feels solid. I never have any sense of losing control &#150; whether rushing on rough pavement, cornering sharply, passing at high speeds or braking hard. The steering is precise &#150; effortless when parking, responsive when maneuvering through traffic, a bit slack at high speeds but straight-tracking. As for power - much mocked on these forums - I can only say that the Verano goes as fast I want it to go. There are plenty of angry and aggressive drivers here in NYC. Few of them intimidate me or my Verano.

I was sold by Buick&#146;s quiet-tuning promotions. The technology and claims are real. And there were some unexpected effects. This car is definitely quiet, just as promised. There is little mechanical noise. In fact, at idle, the engine is so faint that a few times, I accidentally left the car and returned only to discover that I had forgotten to turn the engine off. There is little wind sound. The windows are smallish, especially the four extra portholes, and extra thick. This muffles outside sounds, especially noticeable when you drive through a tunnel alongside trucks. The cabin feels quite compact. All its surfaces are well-padded. The whole effect is like being inside a capsule - an airplane or submarine. Your environment is so calm compared to the harsh one outside. It gives me a sense of privacy &#150; of really being in my own world.

I can listen to the radio at the same volume level I would in my living room and still have an easy conversation with a passenger.

The seats feel more like a living room arm chair. They are firm yet with generous bolstering, good back support and luxurious-feeling leather. Do you know that Pavlovian response when you are about to have the first taste of a favorite food &#150; you start salivating. I have a similar experience each time I walk up to the car. The seat is so comfortable, so perfectly positioned, that my body relaxes in joyful anticipation of the first contact. I did some comparisons, and found that the Verano&#146;s seats are about 2-inches higher than other car seats and not as steeply sloped. The extra height makes it easier to get in and out of the car. Some people like the sports car like feel of very low seats. I prefer sitting higher and upright. I think that&#146;s what gives the cabin its living room feel.

There are a few disappointments. Significant blind spots. The front side pillars take a chunk out of the field of view when turning. They can hide pedestrians. And the pillars in the back force you to look much more carefully for on-coming traffic when pulling out of a parking space. The rear window and mirror seem awfully constricted. Although the car is quiet, I am quite aware of sound of the tires on the road. Road bumps produce sharp thumps. I suspect this is simply a consequence of there being little other noise, and possibly because of the low profile tires and general tautness of the body.

The entertainment and communications system &#150; Intellilink &#150; offers lots of features, but the user interface needs a little more thinking. It took a while to navigate through the plethora of offerings &#150; Sirius, CD, USB, Bluetooth streaming, AM, FM etc. This requires assigning shortcuts to sources on groups of six buttons, each group representing a single collection of favorites. You have to cycle through the groups of favorites to get to the shortcut for a particular source and if you don&#146;t actually press the button, there is a mismatch between the button&#146;s screen label and the actual shortcut. Ughh.

The Bluetooth phone connection requires that the radio be on. There should be some standby mode where the radio is on but if you feel like quiet, nothing is actually playing. Also, the touch panel could display a virtual analog clock instead of the boring Buick logo when the radio is off. This would dress things up. Hey, it&#146;s just a computer. Why not allow display of a picture of your lover, your dog or family? This could be done through the car&#146;s smartphone app. Importing contacts from my particular phone was not supported. But I can use the car&#146;s own phone (yes, it comes with its own phone and number!). It would be nice to have commands to be able to dial separate digits during a call. This way, you could access voice mail or get through office PBX switches or any automated telephone response systems.

The car is definitely small. Still, I can push the seats far enough back that the feet of my 6-foot body cannot reach the pedals. Gas mileage is 22-23. Not terribly impressive for such a small car. A full tank gives me about 325 mile range.

Sometimes the car looks to me like an ugly duckling, parts of the body seem bloated. Nevertheless, there is an inner coherence to the design. The theme of the chrome &#147;eyebrows&#148; over the tail lights are carried through onto the dash. Study a picture of the control panel and you&#146;ll see how the chrome accents on the outer button edges or between groups of switches contribute to readability. Notice how the brushed aluminum outline is well sculpted. This is subjective, but I think the Verano is pretty and pleasing, even if it is an ugly duckling.

to ankith1 I was making a wish. This function does not actually exist. My point is that the Intellillink/OnStar functionality has unrealized potential. The display is probably driven by a netbook-like compact computer possibly running Linux. The image is like a PC desktop. Tt would be neat if the user could customize it. The car comes with a phone app that monitors tire pressure, gas, oil and through which you can send commands to start the car or prepare a route. This could be a way to customize the display - someday.

I too await the turbo version--250HP! 260 Ft lbs torque--as much just about as Volvo s60 T5. I think the Verano will have an identity crisis when the turbo appears as Buick is saying this is not to be construed a s sport sedan--but that much power and 0-60 6.2 sec is quick. Will it be overkill?

We all know that the turbo will be out soon. But various sources on the web say that the eAssist mild-hybrid system will become the base engine for the 2015 Verano. Is it possible to have both: a turbo on the eAssist engine?

Love this car. I never go domestic, but I might just have to try out a Verano in 2-3 years. It will be interesting to see the improvements they make to it by the 2014/2015 models. Hope the sticker price doesn't go up or you can count me out!

Good afternoon, Production on the 2013 Verano is scheduled to begin today, 8/6/12, and we ask that you allow 8-12 weeks for these vehicles to begin arriving to dealership lots. I am unsure as to the specifics of the turbo.

"The turbocharged version of Buick's compact Verano will get 31 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA. The 2013 Verano Turbo is rated at 20/31/24 mpg city/highway/combined. Non-turbocharged Veranos use a 180-horsepower four-cylinder engine and get 21/32/25 mpg"

Above is from cars.com. The turbo is definitely "in the cards" for the 2013MY. We just don't know how long before it hits the street.

Thought you meant either/or. Guess I blew by the e-assist combined with the turbo question as it sounded kind of ridiculous. However, the more I think about it I assume something like that could be possible someday, just not from GM in the near future.

GM's Opel subsidiary in Germany is introducing turbo and auto start-stop on their economy-priced "Corsa" model to be sold in Europe. Also, BMW has turbo and start-stop technology combined across the line. So the era of turbo and start-stop is here already.

Yeah, I've read about that and I think there are others. Just the idea of a battery assisted turbo hybrid sounded odd but, like I said, when I think more about it, why not. One of the drawbacks on turbos is when you put your foot in it your fuel economy goes south, but if the battery were to kick in and take up some of the torque request it may be something that would work well. I'm certainly no engineer but it sounds like it could work.